To close out the year, I am going to talk about what the upcoming draft situation looks like in the NHL. Seeing as I previewed the playoffs last week, this is the next big event for the NHL. For those unaware, the draft is the yearly event where the various NHL teams pick young draft-eligible talents in order to start their NHL careers. The system works so that teams that do poorly that year have earlier picks in the draft, therefore having the opportunity to improve for the future. The draft consists of 7 rounds and occurs yearly in June. However, this year, an entirely different draft will also occur. That is the expansion draft, which will allow the new team based in Seattle to select a player from each of the other 31 rosters. Teams have the opportunity to protect 7 forwards, 3 defensemen, and a goaltender from the selection process. They also do not need to protect any player on an entry level contract. With the last expansion draft creating a powerhouse immediately in Vegas, this draft will be followed closely. The Seattle Kraken will be able to build a respectable roster and leverage their position in order to gain draft capital from other teams. 

With two important events happening this offseason, NHL fans are certain to have an exciting summer even after the cup is hoisted by the eventual champion. The NHL entry draft is certain to be an unusual one. Across the junior leagues, players have had a reduced ability to get on the ice. Some top prospects did not play games this year. Because of this, scouting has been a nightmare. Team executives have some idea of the top prospects but are speculating a lot of talented players may be drafted much later than in a typical year. At the top of the class is the University of Michigan. The school has 3 out of the top 10 prospects this year, which is very unusual. For that many top prospects to come from a college program rather than the Canadian junior leagues is surprising. The number one prospect, Owen Power, is a talented defenseman from Michigan. Another prospect playing in America is Luke Hughes, who intends to join the Michigan team next season. He is the younger brother of veritable NHL talents Jack and Quinn.  

Moving on to the expansion draft, many are speculating that teams have learned from the Vegas draft, where teams allowed a new powerhouse to enter the league. At that point, teams were unsure of how the expansion team would act during the draft, which led some teams to trade players to Vegas before the draft in exchange for guarantees about who would be taken. Florida is the most egregious example, as they traded Reilly Smith to Vegas and allowed Jonathon Marchessault to be taken during the draft. Both of these players proved themselves as top 6 forwards during the Vegas cup run. The speculated protection lists are all that can be operated off of as of now. While some sportswriters are making lists that leave elite players unprotected, most are indicating that this Seattle team may be weak during its introduction to the league. For this reason, I would not be surprised if they try to make moves to improve their draft capital in order to build a roster for the future.